1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pressure vessels generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel pressure vessel of composite construction.
2. Background Art
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, there has been a necessity for providing containers to hold fluids under pressure in a variety of processes. Most present day pressure vessels are of cylindrical or spherical shape and of welded or seamless construction. Because of the design considerations for rectilinear pressure vessels, the wall thicknesses thereof are quite large even at relatively low working pressures. At very high working pressures, the wall thicknesses of even cylindrical or spherical pressure vessels can become quite large, with a concomitant heavy weight of the vessels. This makes such conventional pressure vessels unsuitable for applications in which heavy weight is a detriment, for example, in the aerospace industry.
A further disadvantage of conventional pressure vessels is that their cylindrical or spherical shapes, while making efficient use of the materials of which they are constructed, are inefficient in space utilized. For example, a number of cylinders stacked together have a considerable amount of free space between them. For another example, a tank truck having a cylindrical tank, with the diameter limited by trucking regulations, can hold much less fluid than would a rectangular shaped tank subject to the same regulations.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a pressure vessel of less weight than one of conventional construction.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a pressure vessel that can be of rectilinear shape, yet not have excessive wall thickness.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a pressure vessel that is economical to construct.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.